National Catholic Forensic League

The National Catholic Forensic League’s

Instructions to Bidders for the

Annual NCFL Grand National

Speech and Debate Tournament

Revised at the NCFL Executive Committee’s Fall Meeting, 1999

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Section 1 – Bid Schedule and Process

Section 2 – Bid Preparation Instructions

Section 3 – Committees and Task Descriptions

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Introduction

Since the early 1990’s, the selection of the host
diocesan league and city for the National Catholic Forensic League’s (NCFL)
Annual Grand National Speech and Debate Tournament has become a competitive
effort. Up until the late 1980’s, nearly any "rational" bid was
accepted, as there weren’t that many local dioceses bidding. In the 1990’s,
with the expanding size of the tournament, the increasing interest of local
communities in participating in the hosting, and the recognition of the revenue
that hosting the tournament brings to a local city, the bid and selection
process became competitive. In the interests of thoroughness, fairness, and
inclusion, the NCFL chose to formalize the process and define the contents of a
bid to host the tournament. After two selections using this process, some
weaknesses were identified in the process. The NCFL has chosen to revise the
process to address these weaknesses.

Attached, please find the revised instructions,
requirements, format, and timeline for the bids of local diocesan leagues to
host the tournament. The NCFL Executive Council will initially review all bids
submitted to determine their compliance with these instructions. It is important
to follow the schedule and requirements attached. Bids that are not compliant
with these instructions or are not delivered at the times specified do not have
to be considered by the Executive Council.

Any member local diocesan league of the NCFL is invited to
submit a proposal, or bid, to host the NCFL’s Annual Grand National Speech and
Debate Tournament. The instructions following will serve as the basis for
evaluating competing bids to ensure that the local league can make commitments
to, and follow through on them for, the NCFL community to provide a successful,
efficient, and enjoyable weekend for all participants.

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Section 1 – Bid Schedule and Process

1.  All bids by a local diocesan league to host the
National Catholic Forensic League’s (NCFL) Annual Grand National Speech and
Debate Tournament must be for a single, specific year. All information in that
bid must apply to the year being "bid" for. The Annual Tournament is
held the Friday through Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in May each year.

2.  All bids must be addressed to the President of
the NCFL at his or her local residence or business address as given on the NCFL
Letterhead or an alternate address specified by the President. All bids must be
received by the President of the NCFL not earlier than December 1st, and not
later than January 2nd, of the year three years prior to the tournament date
being "bid" for. For example, a bid to host the 2003 Tournament,
should be sent to the President of the NCFL to arrive between December 1st,
1999, and January 2nd of the year 2000. Bids received outside of this specified
timeframe are considered not compliant with these instructions and do not have
to be reviewed by the NCFL Executive Council.

3.  At the Winter Meeting of the NCFL Executive
Council all bids will be reviewed for compliance with these instructions. The
President of the NCFL will notify bidders not considered compliant after the
Winter Meeting. Non-compliant bids do not have to be considered further and are
not eligible for presentation to the NCFL Executive Committee. At the sole
discretion of the NCFL Executive Council, non-compliant bids may be made
compliant and resubmitted for further consideration by a date specified by the
President of the NCFL.

4.  At the Winter Meeting of the NCFL Executive
Council, questions may be prepared for any or all bidders. These questions will
be submitted to the bidders for reply by a date specified by the President of
the NCFL. The NCFL Executive Council can use the answers to these questions as
the basis for further selection or de-selection.

5.  The NCFL Executive Council will select no more
than three bids for presentation to the NCFL Executive Committee. Bidders
invited to present their bids to the NCFL Executive Committee will be notified
not later than 31 March of the year the bid was submitted.

6.  Presentations by the selected bidders will be
made at the NCFL Executive Council’s Annual Spring Meeting. Each presentation
can be oral and/or visual in nature with handouts and audio/visual aides as
necessary. Each presentation should not exceed fifteen minutes in length.
Questions from the Executive Committee will be accepted after the completion of
each bid and will not be timed. The presentation can be of any format desired by
the bidding league. At a minimum, the bid submitted to the NCFL Executive
Council with any revisions since the original submission should be provided to
all members of the NCFL Executive Committee as a handout.

7.  The NCFL will reimburse each local diocesan
league selected to present a bid to the Executive Committee up to $500 in
printing costs for the bid materials. Receipts must be submitted to the NCFL
Treasurer at the Executive Committee Meeting at which the bid is presented. No
further compensation or reimbursement will be made to bidding leagues, whether
they win or lose their bid. Any costs incurred to present the bid (such as
audio/visual equipment rental) will be the responsibility of the bidding league.

8.  A bidding diocesan league is not permitted to
send any mass-mailings or group solicitations to the Executive Council,
Executive Committee, or NCFL membership. This prohibition applies during the
years that a bid is being prepared and evaluated. Any diocesan league doing so
will have its bid removed from consideration by the Executive Council and
Executive Committee.

9.  A bidding diocesan league is not permitted to
provide gifts, souvenirs, memorabilia, etc. to NCFL Executive Council or NCFL
Executive Committee members that exceed $25 in total fair market value for all
gifts during the years that a bid is being prepared and evaluated. Any diocesan
league doing so will have its bid removed from consideration by the Executive
Council and Executive Committee.

10.  After all presentations have been completed, the
NCFL Executive Committee will select one bidding diocesan league, from those
presenting bids in accordance with these instructions, to be the host diocese
for the Annual Grand National Speech and Debate Tournament three years hence.
This selection will be in accordance with all existing Constitutional provisions
and By-Laws of the NCFL at the time of selection.

11.  By January 2nd one year prior to each National
Tournament, the host diocesan league for the tournament must provide to the
President of the NCFL a revised budget estimate and status of preparations for
the tournament.

12.  By January 2nd of the year of each National
Tournament, the host diocesan league must provide to the President of the NCFL a
final budget estimate and status of preparations for the tournament. This status
should specifically include availability confirmations for all hotel and
tournament site facilities. Special attention should also be paid in this update
to organization, transportation, printing, and food arrangements.

13.  In the event a host diocesan league previously
awarded a bid cannot meet its obligations, or no bid is received for a year, the
NCFL Executive Council is empowered to select a host diocesan league in a manner
it sees fit.

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Section 2 – Bid Preparation Instructions

1.  The host local diocesan league and the NCFL share
the responsibility for the successful running and completion of the Annual Grand
National Speech and Debate Tournament. The two units must work closely together
during the three years prior to the tournament to prepare. Because of this, the
NCFL expects the proposal from the local diocesan league to be a thoughtful
presentation of the efforts the local league will make in preparation for, and
during, the tournament.

2.  The successful proposal will have, at a minimum,
the following sections:

1. 
   
2. Cover Letter
3. 
   
4. Executive Summary
5. 
   
6. Competition Facilities
7. 
   
8. Hotel Facilities
9. 
   
10. Transportation Arrangements
11. 
    
12. Food Arrangements
13. 
    
14. Budget Estimate
15. 
    
16. Steering Committee
17. 
    

3.  The proposal shall be a concise presentation of the
issues, conclusions, and the offering league’s capabilities to host the
tournament. The proposal shall be in a format easily readable, with 8.5 x 11
inch standard pages.

4.  The Cover Letter. The cover letter is to be
attached to the proposal, signed by an official authorized by the local diocesan
league to commit the league to host the Grand National Tournament. The cover
letter should include the name, address, and phone number of a single point of
contact authorized by the local diocesan league to respond to questions from the
NCFL.

5.  The Executive Summary. The executive summary
should set out in short form the highlights of the bid. This is not intended to
be the section to discuss the details, but rather to provide a central place to
provide an overall impression of the "tournament weekend" that the
local diocesan league is proposing.

6.  The desired content of each detailed section is
outlined in the following sections of the instructions. The proposal must detail
how the bidding league anticipates meeting the needs of the NCFL community and
the approximately 3,300 attendees at the tournament.

Section 2.1 – Competition and Support
Facilities

This section should detail the competition facilities to
be used throughout the tournament. At a minimum, the following items should be
discussed.

1.  The plans for providing adequate competition rooms
for the preliminary rounds of the tournament to include (based on 1996 numbers):

204 rooms for speech events (34 rooms per event)

55 rooms for Lincoln-Douglas

85 rooms for Team Debate

8 rooms for Student Congress

1 room for 230 persons seated at tables for Extemp Prep

4 rooms for Tabulation

Judge’s Lounges and meeting areas

Storage and ballot sorting areas

2.  The plans for providing adequate competition rooms
for the elimination rounds, including large rooms to accommodate at least 50
persons for each final round, of the tournament to include:

3.  The plans for providing adequate rooms and spaces
to support the tournament to include:

4. The competition sites for the tournament. The number,
name, location, rooms available at each site, distance from hotels and from each
other should be discussed.

5.  The rental, custodial, and security costs for each
site should be discussed.

6.  The willingness of each site to enter into
contracts with the local host diocesan league should be discussed. The contract
mechanisms, parties, and timelines should be discussed.

7.  The plans for the tournament support activities
to include:

8.  Detail plans to print the Tournament Program, I.E.
ballots and critique sheets, I.E. schematics, on-site copying of L-D and Team
Debate schematics, the tournament results packets, and the host league’s
newsletters.

9.  Detail any plans for tourist activities in and
around the host city. These plans should be completely voluntary, may have a
cost associated with them, and should not conflict with any official tournament
activities. Provide information on local tourist activities an attending group
could pursue individually.

10.  Provide information on costs to be incurred by
the local league and/or NCFL for the competition facilities in the budget
discussion.

Section 2.2 – Hotel Facilities.

This section should detail housing facilities to be used
throughout the tournament. These may be hotels and/or dormitories depending on
the availability and plans of the bidder. The tournament host will contract with
local hotel(s) (and possibly college dorm rooms if appropriate) to house the
participants at the contest. This section should detail the how the bidding
league plans to meet the housing needs of the attendees at the tournaments. At a
minimum, the following information should be addressed.

1.  The plans for securing 1400+ rooms in the immediate
vicinity. Provide details about how many of the rooms will be
"double-double" rooms. The NCFL requires approximately 70% or more be
"double-double" rooms. Indicate each facility’s ability to provide
rollaway or additional beds in guest rooms. Detail how many hotels and locations
will be used and indicate the distances between each and to other tournament
sites.

2.  Provide information on the current rates for each
hotel. Detail the process and timeline for locking in rates at each facility.
Indicate how many days before and after the tournament the rates will be in
effect.

3.  Indicate the complimentary room night policy of
each housing facility. It is expected that the NCFL Executive Council’s hotel
rooms will be covered in a complimentary room night block.

4.  Indicate each facility’s plans for providing
security personnel to patrol halls and common areas. Indicate each facility’s
plans, if any, for a curfew on students.

5.  Indicate each facility’s willingness to accept,
and process for accepting, tax-exempt certificates from other states.

6.  Indicate each facility’s participation in
tournament activities such as Tournament Registration, Diocesan Directors’
Meeting, Preliminary Rounds, Elimination Rounds, Masses, Parties, Postings, and
Awards Ceremony.

7.  Provide information about the concessions each
facility will offer to secure the NCFL’s business. These can include special
menus for students, extended restaurant hours, telephone arrangements, reduced
rates, meeting space, etc.

8.  Indicate each facilities elevator configurations,
availability, and ability to handle moving the tournament attendees during the
peak periods of tournament movement such as breakfast, departing and arriving
buses, postings, and awards.

9.  Provide information on costs to be incurred by
the local league and/or NCFL for the housing facilities in the budget
discussion.

Section 2.3 – Transportation
Arrangements

This section should detail transportation availability to
and from the local diocesan league for the tournament and arrangements for
transportation during the tournament. At a minimum, the following should be
addressed.

1.  Provide a current list of airfares to the proposed
host city from representative cities around the country with member dioceses.
Possible cities to use for comparison are: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia,
Miami, New Orleans, Kansas City, Baltimore, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, etc.

2.  If the proposed host city is not a major
metropolitan area, detail the air service currently provided in terms of number
of flights and seats arriving and departing each day. Indicate if there are
plans to add special flights to support the tournament.

3.  Provide information about the rental car and van
facilities at the nearby major airports. If the proposed host city is not a
major metropolitan area, indicate the amount of cars and vans available at the
airport most attendees will be expected to use.

4.  Indicate if shuttles to the housing facilities
are provided, either by the facilities, the community, or the host league.

5.  Indicate if any contracts will be necessary to
support travel to and from the proposed host city and transportation from the
airport to the housing facilities.

6.  Indicate any special travel agents in the
proposed host city that will serve as agents for the tournament attendees.
Indicate what organization or persons a travelling league should contact to
arrange for group transportation from the nearby airports to the housing
facilities.

7.  Detail plans for providing tournament
transportation from the housing facilities to the competition sites on Saturday
and Sunday of the tournament. Indicate any arrangements for transportation of
Diocesan Directors for Tournament Registration and the Diocesan Directors
Meeting. Indicate any arrangements for transportation to and from tournament
activities such as Postings, Masses, Parties, and the Awards Ceremony. Provide
costs for these services in the budget discussion.

Section 2.4 – Food Arrangements

This section should detail food availability and plans for
providing food to tournament participants throughout the tournament. At a
minimum, the following should be addressed.

1.  Detail plans for providing a quick "cash and
carry" or "buffet breakfast" for tournament participants at the
housing facilities and/or competition sites for both Saturday and Sunday.

2.  Provide information on the breakfast food and
"snack" plans to be provided for the Judges’ Lounges at each
competition site on each day of the tournament.

3.  Provide information on the breakfast food, lunch
arrangements, and "snack" plans for the Tab Rooms at each competition
site on each day of the tournament.

4.  Provide information on the lunch plans for
tournament participants and judges for each day of the tournament.

5.  Provide information on local food establishments
near the tournament competition sites and housing facilities. This information
should include types of restaurants, anticipated operating hours, average meal
costs, distances from sites, etc.

6.  Provide information on the food establishments at
each housing facility. This information should include seating capabilities,
hours of operations, and average meal costs.

7.  Provide information on costs to be incurred by
the local league and/or NCFL for the food arrangements in the budget discussion.

Section 2.5 – Budget Estimate

The host local diocesan league and the NCFL share the
responsibility for the finances of the Grand National Speech and Debate
Tournament. The local host should be in continuous consultation with the NCFL
Executive Council regarding expenditures and plans for the operation of the
Grand Tournament in order to ensure a realistic operating budget. The local
league may pursue its own fundraising activities during the course of the
tournament. If, however, the expenses of the tournament exceed the receipts, it
is expected that the local league will contribute from their fundraising
activities towards offsetting the deficit.

This section should provide a realistic, thorough, and
complete estimate of the budget for hosting the Annual NCFL Grand National
Speech and Debate Tournament in the proposed host city. Each line item should
indicate if the dollar values are in present day dollars or in the anticipated
dollar value of the year a league is bidding to host in. At a minimum, please
provide the anticipated costs of the following.

1.  Transportation: Buses to transport all tournament
participants between the tournament housing facilities and any and all
tournament events (registration, preliminary and elimination rounds,
coach/student social events, Awards Ceremony, etc.).

2.  Site Fees: Rental, custodial, and security costs
for the sites and equipment used for any tournament events.

3.  Printing Costs: Costs of printing the tournament
program booklet, the I.E. ballots and critique sheets, the I.E. schematics,
on-site copying of L-D and Team Debate schematics, the tournament results
packets, and the host league’s newsletters to local diocesan leagues before
the tournament.

4.  Food: Tab Room breakfast, lunches, and snack
breaks (if any) for both days of the competition.

5.  Entertainment (if any): Costs of any
coach/student social events being planned.

6.  Tab Room Supplies: Costs of providing tab room
materials such as staplers, pens, poster board, etc.

7.  Postage: Costs of mailing local league
newsletters to the diocesan league membership of the NCFL.

8.  Mass expenses: Honoraria, site fees, etc.

9.  The NCFL will be responsible for providing or
contracting for the following necessary expenses for the Grand National
Tournament. These expenses should not be included in the bidding diocesan league’s
budget estimates.

Section 2.6 – Steering Committee

This section should provide the names and affiliations for
all members of the host diocesan league’s steering committee for hosting the
tournament. At a minimum, the following should be addressed.

1.  Indicate, by name, the local diocesan league coaches
who will be key members of the planning group and members of the steering
committee.

2.  Indicate the commitment of the local diocesan
league coaches to the bid being offered and the group’s commitment to
following-through if the bid should be chosen by the NCFL Executive Committee.

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Section 3 – Committees and Task
Descriptions

Some of these committees are long range, some are in the
few weeks preceding the contest, and some are during the course of the contest
itself. The host director may wish to encourage local personnel to sign up for
one of each type of committee. In consultation with the NCFL President and
Tournament Director, some of the duties may be assigned to NCFL officers.

1. Speech Schematic Preparation -- about two weeks before
the tournament, schematic preparation, then after copying, double checking for
each contestant and judge on schematics, stuffing into appropriate League
packets.

2.  Judge Replacement -- on the Saturday of the
contest, finding replacements for the missing judges from the judge stand-byes.

3.  Timers/Pages/Runners/Ballot Collectors --
assembling and organizing a large force of students from the League to work on
Saturday, smaller group for Sunday. Run a briefing session for the students
sometime before the contest.

4.  Mass -- arrange for the site(s) for Mass(es), and
arrange for all aspects of the Mass(es) -- lectors, music, singers, gifts, etc.

5.  Busses -- investigating bus company costs and
signing with one, coordinating the transportation from hotel to tournament
sites, and shuttles among sites as necessary.

6.  Awards -- transporting trophies from storage to
awards assembly site, setting them up -- Sunday of the contest.

7.  Registration Committee -- counting out and
sorting registration materials for each League; manning the registration desk on
Friday of contest, making any changes in schematics due to registration changes.

8. Publicity and Newsletter -- communication with leagues
around the country in months before the contest.

9.  Results Committee -- beginning Saturday evening,
recording preliminary round results, through end of contest on Sunday, including
copying of results packet.

10.  General Information -- manning a desk at hotel to
give general information.

11.  Food -- arranging for contestant and judge
lunches for Saturday; arranging for breakfast buffet(s) at hotel(s); food for
tab rooms on both days; coffee/donuts/etc for judge lounge area(s).

12. Saturday On-Site Events -- manning walkie-talkies,
working with students and adults to determine that judges show up, rounds are
underway, and that ballots are returned.

13. Sorting & Stuffing -- Saturday and Sunday working
with students and adults to see that ballots and results sheets are sorted by
diocese.

14. Program -- assembling appropriate maps of sites,
soliciting welcome letters from appropriate dignitaries (Bishop, Mayor, etc.),
arranging for the printing of program.

15. Sightseeing/Activities -- organizing optional
activities (theater, reception, sightseeing, etc.) for participants at the
tournament.

16. Receptions -- investigating feasibility/desirability
of judges'/coaches' reception, soliciting sponsorship donations for such from
textbook companies, etc.

17. Local Moneymakers -- coordinating the purchase and
sale of T-shirts, mugs, etc., and assembling students to sell at contest and at
hotel; any other possibilities of local league moneymaking schemes.

18. Housing -- dealing with hotel re: registration,
check-in procedures, etc.

19. Contributions / Local benefactors -- seeking donations
to the cause!

20. Hired / Local Judges -- assembling a pool of emergency
judges in all areas of contest.

21. Logo Selection Committee -- receive and vote on a
design for program cover / logo.

22. Ballot printing -- duplicate NCFL speech ballots and
critique sheets, collate and stuff into ballot envelopes.

23. Ballot Distribution -- Saturday morning, manning
tables to distribute speech ballot envelopes to speech judges.

24. If there is any particular aspect of a National
Tournament which you have noticed in your own experience that is omitted here
and you would like to work on it, please feel free to suggest it.

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